This is a head to head comparison looking at OU and OSU basketball. It was compiled using Soonersports.com, OkState.com, and Big12Sports.com. The point of this thread is to show just how biased the local media has been in favoring the Oklahoma State basketball program, and to educate both OU and OSU fans alike on how OU's program has a slight edge in tradition.
OU basketball vs. OSU basketball: a statistical analysis since the inception of the Big 8.
The Big 8, as we knew it, came into being for the 1958-59 season. The name "Big 8" wasn't officially adopted until the 1964 season. From 1958-59 through 1964, the conference had been known as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Oklahoma State was actually in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1928-1958.
So, these statistics are from the 1958-59 season to the last completed season (07-08). The statistics were compiled using a variety of sources, including soonerstats.com, big12sports.com, and okstate.com.
Oklahoma State
Total win/loss record: 779-628, .554
NCAA tournament appearances: 15
Final 4 appearances: 2
Title game appearances: 0
NIT appearances: 5
Conference titles: 2 big 8 (1 shared), 1 big 12
Conference tournament titles: 2 big 8, 2 big 12
Oklahoma
Total win/loss record: 920-540, .630
NCAA tournament appearances: 23
Final 4 appearances: 2
Title game appearances: 1
NIT appearances: 7
Conference titles: 5 big 8, 1 big 12 (shared)
Conference tournament titles: 4 big 8, 3 big 12
Overall head to head since 58-59
Oklahoma 64, Oklahoma State 46
In the 51 seasons (including this year) since OSU joined the Big-8, OU has a better conference record 36 times, OSU 11, 4 the same.
Since the inception of the Big 12 conference, OSU has only finished ahead of OU in the conferences win/loss record one (1) time:
96-97 OU 9-7 OSU 7-9
97-98 OU 11-5 OSU 11-5
98-99 OU 11-5 OSU 10-6
99-00 OU 12-4 OSU 12-4
00-01 OU 12-4 OSU 10-6
01-02 OU 13-3 OSU 10-6
02-03 OU 12-4 OSU 10-6
03-04 OU 8-8 OSU 14-2
04-05 OU 12-4 OSU 11-5
05-06 OU 11-5 OSU 6-10
06-07 OU 6-10 OSU 6-10
07-08 OU 9-7 OSU 7-9
08-09 OU 13-3 OSU 9-7
So, you want to go back all-time? That is fine with me. All-Time Stats:
OU: All Time Record 1,468-936 (.611) OSU: 1452-1018 (.588).
126 Bedlam Wins 89
10 winning coaches 6
21 different All-Americans 17
22 Conference Championships 17
10/11 winning records against the Big 12 5/11
34 1000 point scorers 30
8 Oylmpic Appearences ?
40 NBA Draft Selections 32
26 NCAA appearences 23
32 Total Tournament appearences 31
157 100 point games 39
51 game home win streak 46
OU has spent more weeks in the AP Top 25 poll than OSU.
OU has had more winning seasons than OSU.
OU has a better all time home winning percentage than OSU.
OU has made it to 4 final fours (2 Championship games)
OSU (or Oklahoma A&M as it was called back then) has won two national championships ('45 and '46) in basketball. This is a stat that simply cannot be ignored, and really the main reason why the Cowboys are even in the ballpark with Oklahoma in terms of basketball program comparisons. I will not take anything away from their accomplishments but consider this:
1. These championships happened 62 and 63 years ago. Most of us on this board were not even born when the Cowboys won the championship. Before you bombard me with the 50's football championships, at least we have won one in the new millennium (2000), and, this is about basketball, not football.
2. The road to the winning the championship was a lot less meddlesome back in the old A&M days. The Aggies only had to win three (3) games to be crowned the champion unlike the grueling 6 games of the modern era. That is certainly not the Cowboy's fault, but should at least be mentioned. Four of OSU's six final fours were obtained via this three game system. Note: two of Oklahoma's 4 were also obtained this way. Eight of Oklahoma State's eleven Elite 8 appearances were accomplished by only having to win two games in the tournament! Note: 3 of OU's 8 Elite 8 appearances were won in this fashion.
3. The good old NIT was still a major player during this time. It was an era in which the NCAA was battling for dominance. While it is debatable which tournament ran supreme during these championships, one thing is for sure, not all the good teams were playing in the NCAA tournament. Could that of impacted OSU's two victories? Who knows? But again, worth mentioning.
4. All-American Bob Kurland was a game changing center for the pokes. There was no goal tending back then, so the big 7 footer could just sit back and guard the goal until the cows came home. It was certainly within the rules of the day, but it obviously gave the Cowboys a big advantage that they wouldn't have had a few years later (because of Kurland).
If OSU fans really want to use all of that success from the Iba days as the main basis of claiming superiority over Oklahoma (despite all the facts that I have presented in this comparison) then I think they might be living in the past just a tad! If I were them, then I would certainly want something more recent to hang my hat on in this debate.
